Robert courtney secker



(No Model.)

B. C. SEGKER.

SHOE.

No. 581,777. Patented May 4,1897.

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a'rnr ROBERT COURTNEY SECKER, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

S H O E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581,777, dated May 4, 1897.

Application filed May 22, 1896. Serial No. 592,626. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT COURTNEY BECKER, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shoes; and I do hereby declare the followiug to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in shoes, the object of the same being to so con struct the upper of the shoe that it will be impervious to water, snow, dse, will be of a single piece of leather, and will be provided with means whereby the same may be opened and closed without the use of buttons or laces.

The invention consists of a shoe whose upper is formed of a continuous piece of leather or other material having a lap adapted to be folded over against the side of the upper, and a clasp for holding said lap in its folded position, the same consisting of strips of springwire or other suitable material having coils formed therein forming two arms, one of said arms being secured to the inner surface of one side of said lap, and the other to the inner surface of the other side of said lap, and the coils therein lying in the crease or bending-point of said lap.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a shoe constructed according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on the line c 00 of Fig. 1, showing the shoe in its open position. Fig. 3 is a similar section on the same line, the parts being shown in their closed position. Fig. i is a detail perspective view of one of the spring-clasps for holding the upper in its closed position.

Like reference-numerals indicate like parts in the different views.

The upper 1 0f the shoe 2 is made of a continuous piece or pieces of leather, the e11- trance-opening 3 therein being slightly larger than the ankle of the foot said shoe is designed to fit. The front part of the upper is formed with a lap at, which is adapted to be folded over against the side of the foot and be held in place by a series of clasps 5, as clearly shown in the drawings. Each of the clasps 5 is made up of strips of spring-wire having coils '7 formed in them, the arms 6 6 thereof extending outwardly in opposite directions from said coils and designed to conform to the shape of the front of the foot. The arms 6 6 are secured to the sides of the lap at by bands 8 of elastic or other suitable material, and the coil 7 is adapted to fit within the crease formed by said fold.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have devised a shoe through which the admission of snow or water to the inside thereof is effectually prevented and in which the same may be readily fastened or unfastened without the use of buttons or laces. The normal position of the lap or fold 4 when the shoe is closed is as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, wherein the arms 6 6 are shown in close contact with each other. \Vhen it is desired to open the shoe to remove the foot, it is merely necessary to raise the outer end of the lap 4 against the pressure'of spring-coil 7 of said clasp, when the upper may be thrown to its open position. (Shown in Fig.

Having now described my invention, what- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a shoe, the combination with the upper thereof formed of a continuous piece of leather or other material, having a lap adapted to be folded over against the side of the upper, of a clasp for holding said lap in its folded position, the same consisting of strips of spring wire or other suitable material, having coils formed therein forming two arms, one of said arms being secured to the inner surface of one side of said lap, and the other to the inner surface of the other side of said lap, and the coils therein lying in the crease or bending-point of said lap, substantially as described.

In testimony whercof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT COURTNEY SEOKER.

lVitnesses:

EocLEs NOBLE, I. KELLY. 

